“Too old for Instagram, too young for Life Alert.” “In God we trust—but wash your hands.” “Life’s too short to live in Houston.” People love these things. But not all the words some sign painter strings together are equal. One sign might be a joke from a redneck comedian, while another bears words from aContinue reading “The WORD is Different from Other Words. Isaiah 55:10-11.”
Category Archives: Read the Bible
The Water Cycle. Isaiah 55:10-11.
Following college I spent one year working as a substitute teacher. I never turned down a job—I taught all grades, all levels, and all subjects in all the schools of Alief I.S.D. One of the things that surprised me was how often I found myself talking about “the Water Cycle.” I had never heard thatContinue reading “The Water Cycle. Isaiah 55:10-11.”
EXPRESSIONS FROM THE BIBLE. John 19:30.
You probably know what it means if I say, “I wash my hands of this matter.” It means I’m not involved or responsible. It comes from Pilate attempting to wash away his own responsibility for the kangaroo-court “conviction” of Jesus. And you probably know the context in which Jesus made famous the phrase, “He whoContinue reading “EXPRESSIONS FROM THE BIBLE. John 19:30.”
God Subdues the Uproar of the Barbarians. Isaiah 25:5.
I saw a video today of Antifa protestors burning an American flag. Sadly, that has become commonplace with America-hating protestors. But this time they took it further, and burned a Bible. Why? How did a love letter from the God who created them and died for them become something worthy of burning? They pretend toContinue reading “God Subdues the Uproar of the Barbarians. Isaiah 25:5.”
THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE. Isaiah 22:17-18.
Is the Bible literature, a work of art? Some find the idea offensive, as though we were arguing the Bible is ONLY literature, when it is much more. But as a work of art, as a carefully-crafted collection of words, the Bible is UNPARALLELED. Consider Genesis 1, Psalm 23, John 1, or Luke 2. IContinue reading “THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE. Isaiah 22:17-18.”
What About All This Free Time? Isaiah 55:11.
God once sent a punishment that sounds like the year 2020: “Joy and rejoicing have been removed from the orchard: no one is singing or shouting for joy in the vineyards. I have put an end to the shouting.” Isaiah 16:10. In 2020 there was no cheerful shouting. Stadiums were quiet. Weddings were quiet. GraduationsContinue reading “What About All This Free Time? Isaiah 55:11.”
Jewels in My Mouth. Hosea 8:12.
When I was learning to read, I would read everything: my parents’ novels (a sentence or two was about all I could take), newspaper articles and cereal boxes at breakfast, shampoo bottles while showering, dictionaries and encyclopedias, you name it. I quickly realized there were some things I did not want to read, books asContinue reading “Jewels in My Mouth. Hosea 8:12.”
Nourishment. Amos 8:11-12.
Most people eat constantly—and constantly think about eating. Eating is often the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night. Instead, when we wake up, we should remember our spiritual hunger. We need to consume spiritual food. Do you wake up and think about God’s word? Did youContinue reading “Nourishment. Amos 8:11-12.”
Beware This Unusual Judgment. Amos 8:11-12.
In the Old Testament God punished His people in many ways—with wars lost, enslavement, pestilence, starvation, drought. One creative punishment was silence. “Hear this! The days are coming when I will send a famine though the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.Continue reading “Beware This Unusual Judgment. Amos 8:11-12.”
Choices.
Your life is not based on one BIG DECISION, but on thousands of small choices. And the most important of those choices is the seemingly small choice to spend time with God every day. When Israel was a divided kingdom, the nation’s kings made bad choices. King Nadab was an evil idol worshipper and BaashaContinue reading “Choices.”
Household Words: 